Environment

Our programme to reduce our environmental impact focuses on:

• Waste management
• Packaging
• Carrier bags
• Our carbon footprint

We have made huge progress in reducing the amount of waste generated from our stores, distribution centres and offices across UK and Ireland. We have reduced the amount of waste to landfill by 46% this year and are now recycling over 70% of the waste we generate.

Our packaging teams in the UK and China have looked at over 2,000 items across the Group to try and reduce packaging and are in the process of implementing the necessary changes; we have already removed 600 tonnes this year with more expected in the coming years.

We have increased the recycled content of our carrier bags to 50% and have reduced the number of carrier bags used by 40% on a like for like basis (vs 2005). In Homebase, this has been supported by the provision of cardboard boxes at checkout for customers to use; this is popular with customers as a convenient alternative to bags, and an excellent reuse of transit packaging.

We have reduced our total carbon footprint (buildings and transport together) by 7%. Although building energy use is up by 6%, changes to our fuel use (more gas and buying more low-carbon electricity from Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plants) mean that carbon emissions from buildings are down 7%. Argos has been accredited by the Carbon Trust under the Energy Efficiency Accreditation Scheme since 2004 and, in May 2008, Homebase was also awarded accreditation.

Carbon emissions from transport are down 6%. We have maintained our focus on improving the utilisation of our commercial fleet, aided by the extensive use of multi-deck trailers. We have set up a Group ‘backhaul’ function to reduce the amount of empty running by our store delivery and trunk fleets; empty Group vehicles make collections from suppliers’ premises on their return journeys from stores and deliver stock into Group depots, removing vehicles from the roads, and making best use of our fleet.

We continue to offer our customers clear information and products that will help them to make environmentally responsible choices – see the section on customers for more information.

Our innovative 21st Century Living Project, in collaboration with the Eden Project, is challenging and supporting 100 homes to live more sustainably by reducing their energy use, water consumption and waste. This project is providing us with valuable insights into customer behaviour and will help us to offer our customers practical solutions to improve their environmental impact. [see Case Study]